2 Chronicles 18:3 kjv
And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.
2 Chronicles 18:3 nkjv
So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" And he answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war."
2 Chronicles 18:3 niv
Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war."
2 Chronicles 18:3 esv
Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" He answered him, "I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war."
2 Chronicles 18:3 nlt
"Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Jehoshaphat replied, "Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle."
2 Chronicles 18 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 22:4 | And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are... and with you in the war." | Parallel account of this same event. |
| 2 Chr 19:2 | Jehu the seer... said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?" | Consequence of Jehoshaphat's unwise alliance. |
| 2 Chr 20:35-37 | After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did wickedly... for your joining with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works. | Another subsequent unwise alliance, reinforcing a pattern. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? | New Testament principle against alliances with ungodly influences. |
| Ps 1:1 | Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners... | Caution against associating with the unrighteous. |
| Prov 1:10-16 | My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent... do not walk in the way with them. | Warning against being persuaded by evil companions. |
| Deut 7:2-4 | Make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them... you would go after their gods. | Old Testament command against alliances with pagan nations. |
| Isa 30:1-2 | "Ah, stubborn children," declares the Lord, "who carry out a plan, but not mine... to walk to Egypt without consulting me." | Rebuke for making alliances based on human wisdom, not God's. |
| Jer 2:18-19 | And now what do you gain by going to Egypt...? Your backsliding will rebuke you. | Consequences of trusting in human alliances rather than God. |
| Hos 8:9 | For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone. | Illustrates the futility and danger of foreign alliances. |
| Amos 3:3 | Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? | Implies the necessity of spiritual agreement for partnership. |
| Ezra 9:1-2 | The holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. | Principle of keeping distinct from wicked influences, extended to nation/people. |
| Neh 13:23-27 | And I contended with them and cursed them... because they had married foreign women. | Nehemiah's forceful action against unholy alliances. |
| 1 Sam 8:5-7 | They said to him, "Give us a king... we want a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations..." But the thing displeased Samuel. | Israel's desire to be "like all the nations" often led to compromise. |
| 1 Kgs 22:5 | But Jehoshaphat said, "Please inquire first for the word of the Lord." | Jehoshaphat's later, but belated, request for God's word after agreeing. |
| 2 Chr 17:3-6 | The Lord was with Jehoshaphat... for he sought the God of his father... he did not seek the Baals. | Context of Jehoshaphat's earlier righteous reign, making his alliance more striking. |
| Ps 146:3-5 | Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation... | Exhortation to trust in God, not human leaders or alliances. |
| Jas 4:4 | You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? | Emphasizes the spiritual danger of worldliness and compromise. |
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. | Principle of singular loyalty, applicable to alliances. |
| Judg 2:2-3 | You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land... But you have not obeyed my voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I have said, I will not drive them out before you. | God's consequences for Israel's failure to maintain separation. |
| 2 Chr 18:1 | Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. | Precursor to the alliance, a familial tie that encouraged this political move. |
| Deut 23:6 | You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. | Specific command against alliances with Ammon and Moab, reflecting broader principle against wicked nations. |
2 Chronicles 18 verses
2 Chronicles 18 3 Meaning
This verse records King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel extending an invitation to King Jehoshaphat of the southern kingdom of Judah to join him in a military campaign against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat, despite being a generally righteous king, immediately accepts the alliance without hesitation, declaring an unequivocal commitment and solidarity by stating, "I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war." This pledge signifies a full agreement to align himself and his military forces with Ahab's cause.
2 Chronicles 18 3 Context
2 Chronicles 18:3 stands as a pivotal verse demonstrating Jehoshaphat's spiritual lapse. It immediately follows the mention of Jehoshaphat's vast wealth and his fateful marriage alliance with Ahab's family (2 Chr 18:1), which provided the groundwork for this close association. The chapter then details Ahab's persuasive invitation to reclaim Ramoth-gilead, a strategic city, and Jehoshaphat's swift and unwavering commitment, encapsulated in this verse. This decision sets the stage for a dramatic conflict where Jehoshaphat nearly loses his life and highlights the spiritual danger of compromising divine principles for political or personal gain. Historically, Ahab was one of Israel's most wicked kings, noted for intense Baal worship, while Jehoshaphat generally walked in the ways of the Lord. The division between Israel and Judah since Rehoboam and Jeroboam meant relations were often tense; however, this alliance temporarily united the kingdoms under questionable leadership, highlighting the potential pitfalls of national or personal entanglements with those not walking in the ways of the Lord.
2 Chronicles 18 3 Word analysis
- And Ahab king of Israel: Ahab (אַחְאָב, ’Aḥ’āḇ - possibly "brother of the father") identifies a ruler infamous for profound idolatry (1 Kgs 16:30-33). Israel refers to the northern kingdom, deeply entrenched in apostasy under Ahab, contrasting sharply with Judah under Jehoshaphat. Ahab initiated this request, underscoring his opportunistic nature.
- said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah: Jehoshaphat (יְהוֹשָׁפָט, Yəhôšāp̄āṭ - "Yahweh has judged") points to a monarch generally known for piety and reforms, yet also for occasional spiritual compromises. His willingness to enter this dialogue without immediate prayerful consideration highlights a significant error in judgment.
- Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead?: This is a direct, urgent invitation to military partnership. Ramoth-gilead (רָאמֹת גִּלְעָד, Rāmôṯ Gil‘āḏ - "heights of Gilead") was a vital frontier city in Transjordan, frequently contested between Israel and Aram, indicating the military-political nature of Ahab's objective. The question demanded Jehoshaphat's clear answer on joining an enterprise initiated by a wicked king.
- And he answered him: Indicates an immediate, apparently unhesitating reply, devoid of an initial pause for divine counsel or reflection, which Jehoshaphat would request only after Ahab had summoned his prophets.
- I am as thou art, and my people as thy people;: The Hebrew for "I am as thou art" is כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי (kā-mô-ḵā ’ă-nî), literally "like you I (am)". This phrase expresses profound identification and solidarity, transcending mere military alliance to imply an alignment of purpose and resources. This commitment goes beyond simple military support; it reflects a potentially dangerous spiritual equality or disregard for Ahab's spiritual standing. "My people as thy people" extends this identification to the national and military forces, promising complete manpower support.
- and we will be with thee in the war.: A clear, unambiguous affirmation of military participation. The phrase "in the war" (בַּמִּלְחָמָה, bam-mil-ḥā-māh) specifies the precise nature of the alliance, emphasizing full engagement in Ahab's aggressive military endeavor.
- "Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art": This exchange represents the fatal embrace of an unwise partnership. Ahab’s question probes Jehoshaphat’s willingness to align, and Jehoshaphat’s immediate response reveals his eagerness to please or to maintain political ties forged by the previous marriage alliance (2 Chr 18:1), overlooking the spiritual implications of joining with a known idolater. The pledge "I am as thou art" signifies an alarming lack of discernment between himself, a king who sought the Lord, and Ahab, a king who utterly abandoned Him.
- "and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war": This powerful pledge signifies not just personal commitment but a full national resource mobilization. It reflects a total, unqualified union of military might, indicating Jehoshaphat's intent to bring Judah's resources completely alongside Israel's, without reserving any part due to moral or spiritual distinctions. This complete identification set the stage for Judah's direct involvement in Israel's ungodly venture and its divine consequences.
2 Chronicles 18 3 Bonus section
- The marriage alliance mentioned in 2 Chronicles 18:1, where Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram married Ahab's daughter Athaliah, created the familial bond that likely contributed to Jehoshaphat's rash agreement in this verse. This seemingly innocuous political move brought idolatry and severe bloodshed into Judah's royal line (2 Chr 21:6, 2 Chr 22:10).
- The phrase "I am as thou art" is a very strong form of solidarity in the Hebrew, implying identity and complete alignment. For Jehoshaphat, a man who earlier established teachers of the Law throughout Judah (2 Chr 17:7-9) and abolished idol worship, to utter this phrase to Ahab, the patron of Baalism, highlights a dangerous spiritual blind spot or profound political pressure at this specific moment.
- Jehoshaphat's decision here stands in stark contrast to his response in 2 Chronicles 20, where he faces an invading army, and immediately seeks the Lord through prayer and fasting, demonstrating a profound reliance on God's intervention. This earlier action highlights the inconsistency of his walk when faced with a "friendly" human alliance rather than an obvious external threat.
2 Chronicles 18 3 Commentary
2 Chronicles 18:3 is a pivotal verse, encapsulating Jehoshaphat's grave error in forming an unqualified military alliance with Ahab, Israel's most wicked king. His immediate and unreserved declaration, "I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war," revealed a striking compromise of discernment. Despite being a king who generally honored God, Jehoshaphat's readiness to equate himself and his righteous kingdom with Ahab and his apostate realm reflected a prioritizing of political expediency and kinship ties (from 2 Chr 18:1) over divine wisdom and separation from ungodliness. This decision laid the groundwork for spiritual peril, near death for Jehoshaphat, and ultimately led to future struggles for Judah stemming from this entanglement with Ahab's wicked lineage. It underscores that even righteous individuals can falter through unwise associations, leading to severe consequences for themselves and their people.